Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried battles for a loose ball against the Lakers this season.

Here are four things to keep an eye on in the Nuggets-Lakers NBA playoff series:

The Nuggets’ drive-and-kick game: They haven’t solved all of their offensive execution issues in the half court, but this has been an effective cure for many of their ills – and has been a good counter to teams looking to simply plug the lane against the Nuggets and take their chances. The Nuggets just keep the ball in constant motion, probing the defense until they either get a lane to the basket or get the defense to help and leave a shooter open.

One of the Nuggets’ favorite reads is a backside 3-point shooter, and when he’s on the court usually that player is Arron Afflalo. An initial screen is set for a point guard, and that screen is set so the point guard drives away from the side Afflalo is on. The guard uses the screen, and as he gets into the lane looks for the cross-court pass to the open shooter on the backside of the play, whose man has collapsed into the lane for help defense. More often than not, that player gets an uncontested or lightly-contested shot. For a weak jump-shooting team like the Nuggets this action is gold because NBA players – good jump shooters or not -– can knock down open looks.

Afflalo is also the Nuggets best player at attacking closeouts. So if the defense does scramble to him, he shot fakes and drives into the lane, where he then has a read to make. If the defense is slow to collapse, he’s got the green light to get to the rim or take a floater or short jump shot of some sort. If the defense walls him off, he moves the ball again, and usually that player (Danilo Gallinari/Ty Lawson/Al Harrington) has an open shot.

This is the foundation of the Nuggets offense, particularly in the last month, and has helped give them some semblance of a half court game.

Ramon Sessions vs. Ty Lawson: If the Nuggets have an advantage anywhere on the court, it’s here. Lawson is the engine that makes the offense go, and he does it at lighting speed. And yet Lawson went 4-for-14 in the only matchup between the two on their current teams. But his poor shooting performance had pretty much nothing to do with Sessions’ defense, which was, let’s just say…barely there. The Nuggets unmercifully ran Sessions through screen after screen, testing his stamina and an injured shoulder. Lawson got good looks – he just didn’t make the shots, something that probably won’t happen to that degree again. If the Nuggets can get him the same looks and Sessions’ defensive presence doesn’t improve it would be a big series-long victory that, given Lawson immense importance to his team’s fortunes, could put the Nuggets in position to steal the series.

Nuggets’ second unit lob pass: This has come about over the course of the last two or three weeks. Coach George Karl’s tinkering with how best to play center JaVale McGee ended when the seven-footer found immediate chemistry with Andre Miller via the lob pass. It has quickly become a staple of how the Nuggets’ second unit manufactures easy buckets. It works often because Al Harrington is on the court to keep defenders honest by keeping the court spaced. A quick fake to Harrington – a 3-point threat – while McGee rolls to the bucket creates the space needed for the long-limbed center to go up and get the pass from arguably the best lob passer in the NBA.

Kenneth Faried vs. Pau Gasol: This has all the earmarks of being a nightmarish matchup for Gasol, who doesn’t particularly like to expend a ton of energy on every single play. Well, Kenneth Faried does. And no matter how much of the game he’s successfully boxed out by his opponent his motor never stops. Gasol, who will be matched up against him, has noticed.

“You’ve got to keep a body on him as much as you can,” Gasol said. “He going to be active, he’s athletic. So he’s going to try to keep balls alive. He runs the floor really well. You’ve just got to try to match that intensity and try to make him work on the other end and see if he can guard in the post. Use your strengths against him.”

Faried being a “nightmarish matchup for Gasol?” Are you kidding me? Did you even watch the last Nuggets-Lakers game? Faired was manhandled by Gasol!! He’s simply too big, long, heavy and physical for Faried. Gasol would love Karl’s stupidity for keeping this “matchup” alive! Faried’s becoming a phenomenal player but I’m sorry, if you’ve watched any of the Laker-Nuggets games, he simply doesn’t matchup well with Gasol, who is 7’1″, and Gasol 6’7″ and Faried must be outweighed by 30 or 40 pounds!!!

The key to this series, and the only key, is how to stop the Laker bigs from dominating in the paint? (i.e. Bynum and Gasol). What you mention as the four keys is simply irrelevant!! The key for Denver to beat LA is for Karl to play 7’1″ Mozgov, 7’2″ McGee, and 7’0″ Koufos at the same time!!! That will neutralize Bynum and Gasol on the boards and make it difficult for them to post up and score in the paint. Kobe won’t be able to beat the Nuggets by himself!!! Focus on the important, not the irrelavnt and please don’t tell me Faried is a “nightmarish” matchup for Gasol–the other way around!!!

Boxcar_414

Denver Post, I totally understand the limitations of your deadlines. But I am REALLY done with your flimsy-ass plastic sleeves. My paper was so wet this morning, I couldn’t even read your INcomplete coverage of this game. I’ve complained before and you obviously didn’t care.

Chris Dempsey arrived at The Denver Post in Dec. 2003 after seven years at the Boulder Daily Camera, where he primarily covered the University of Colorado football and men's basketball teams. A University of Colorado-Boulder alumnus, Dempsey covers the Nuggets and also chips in on college sports.